Who drafted the Balfour Declaration ?

On the 1st of May 1917, Nahum Sokolow,future President of the World Zionist Organisation (1931-35) met with the Papal Secretary of State, Cardinal Gasparri. Sokolow commented,"I felt a chill in my bones..." The purpose of the meeting was to enlist Vatican support for creating a homeland for the Jews. The reason for "the chill" arose from the Catholic Church's ambition to claim for the reserved area in the Sykes-Picot Agreement. This area comprised of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and even the surrounding areas of Tiberias and Jericho. Ambitious indeed.
The Cardinal, having voiced his formative principle regarding the matter, continued by commenting that The Holy See, wished the Zionists well in their attempt to build a Jewish State. Sokolow's letter continues,"I do not wish this premature superlative to pass without comment. We do not plan to create a State but only an autonomous home." According to this letter, the reply was,"Do not worry. I only used that as a figure of speech. Call it what you will. I assure you that from the Church you will have no opposition. On the contrary, you may count on our sympathy. We shall be glad to see the land [sic] of Israel."
On May 4th, Sokolow was received in private audience by Pope Benedict XV. Thirteen years previously, Theodore Herzl, had been received by Pope Pius X, who told him that the Church could not support the return of the infidel Jews to the Holy Land. Herzl's greatest quote was,"In Basle I founded the Jewish State...maybe in 5 years, certainly in 50, everyone will realise it."
Theodor Herzl was driven by the antisemitism he witnessed in France, at the height of the Dreyfus Affair, hearing chants of,"Death to the Jews." The Dreyfus Affair was a determinant in the genesis of Political Zionism. He was the first president of the World Zionist Organisation in August 29-31, 1897. It was here the Basle Program was adopted; a call to collect funds from Jews around the world for creating a company owned by stockholders, the controlling shares to be held by the Rothschild's (Der Judenstaat,1896)
In Altneuland (1902) Herzl set out a rationale for his vision of Israel; a peaceseeking neutral land, built on the secular model. A socialist utopia consisting of a cooperative utilising science and technology in developing the land. It was to be a pluralist advanced society," a light unto the nations." This book became a symbol of the Zionist vision for the land of Israel.
The British view, of that time had not changed since Lord Palmerston stated in a despatch to the British Ambassador to Constantinople, 11th August 1840," There exists at present among the Jews dispersed over Europe, a strong notion that the time is approaching when their nation is to return to Palestine...It is well known that the Jews of Europe possess great wealth, and it is manifest that any country in which a considerable number of them might choose to settle would derive great benefit from the riches which they would bring into it."

Sources: Stein, L THE BALFOUR DECLARATION, Valentine & Mitchell, London 1961
THE JEWISH VIRTUAL LIBRARY accessed 30/06/09